Analysis of Hypersonic Aircraft Inlets Using Flow Adaptive Mesh Algorithms

Abstract

The numerical investigation into the dynamics of unsteady inlet flowfields is applied to a three-dimensional scramjet inlet-isolator-diffuser geometry designed for hypersonic type applications. The Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations are integrated in time using a subiterating, time-accurate implicit algorithm. Inviscid fluxes are calculated using the Low Diffusion Flux Splitting Scheme of Edwards. A modified version of the dynamic solution-adaptive point movement algorithm of Benson and McRae is used in a coupled mode to dynamically resolve the features of the flow by enhancing the spatial accuracy of the simulations. The unsteady mesh terms are incorporated into the flow solver via the inviscid fluxes. The dynamic solution-adaptive grid algorithm of Benson and McRae is modified to improve orthogonality at the boundaries to ensure accurate application of boundary conditions and properly resolve turbulent boundary layers. Shock tube simulations are performed to ascertain the effectiveness of the algorithm for unsteady flow situations on fixed and moving grids. Unstarts due to a combustor and freestream angle of attack perturbations are simulated in a three-dimensional inlet-isolator-diffuser configuration.

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Degree

PhD

Discipline

Aerospace Engineering

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